GENERAL INFO

parents is a masculine plural noun. It primarily means "parents" (your mother and father).

USAGE

It refers to your immediate mother and father: "Mes parents habitent à Paris." (My parents live in Paris.) It can also refer to relatives or family members in general, especially when qualified: "les parents éloignés" (distant relatives).

TRAPS

While often meaning mother and father, "parents" can broadly refer to "relatives" or "kin." For instance, "les parents de l'enfant" could mean "the child's relatives." The singular "un parent" means "a parent" (either one).